Birmingham Children’s Hospital has thousands of supporters and fundraisers who repeatedly go out of their way to make a real difference to our children and young people. Each week we will be telling the story of one our dedicated Charity Champions to highlight the difference that they are making to the children we treat.

For those of you who have ever organised an event you will know that without any start-up funding, it’s a tough job.

But for Birmingham entrepreneurs Jamie Chapman and Adam Yosef, they have managed for five years to organise one of the city’s most famous fundraising events, the Birmingham Zombie Walk, relying purely on the goodwill and generosity of local people.

Thanks to the support of many local businesses, organisations and individuals, thousands of Birmingham people have come together annually since 2009 dressed in torn clothes and painted faces to raise over £15,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

For one Saturday afternoon every year, the zombies arrive in their droves to take in the city’s landmark sights including Broad Street, Centenary Square, Victoria Square, New Street and High Street.

Jamie and Adam have worked incredibly hard over that time to build up the Zombie Walk’s reputation with this year hailed as the best yet and over 1,000 local people taking part. The pair, who are directors of local media company Punk Zebra, have continually felt motivated to raise money for their local hospital after hearing stories from patients and their families who have taken part in the walks.

“I have met people whose children have been treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and these people have nothing but great things to say.

“It’s been amazing to see and hear directly from people whose lives have been changed as a result of their treatment,” said Jamie, founder of the Birmingham Zombie Walk.

Among the thousands of zombies that took part in this year’s event was brave Redditch brain tumour patient 13-year-old Rafe Walker and his twin sister Clemmie. Speaking about how the event has grown since 2009, Adam added: “The event has gone from strength to strength – from just a few hundred people to thousands attending over the last few years. We’re really proud of what the team of volunteers have achieved and we would like to thank everybody who has supported and attended the walk.”

The money raised will help to fund much needed equipment and resources, to improve the lives of the thousands of poorly children treated at the hospital every year.

The hospital’s public fundraising manager Vikki Savery, said: “Jamie and the team have been a fantastic support to Birmingham Children’s Hospital over the last five years. The Zombie Walk is such a creative idea and, as well as bringing in an incredible sum of money, it has really raised the profile of our charity.”

The success of the Zombie Walks has now inspired the pair to think about holding more zombie-themed events in the future.

If you fancy organising an event for Birmingham Children’s Hospital please email events@bch.nhs.uk or call 0121 333 8506. Or to find out more about the Zombie Walks please see www.birminghamzombies.com